The interplay of strategic and internal green marketing orientation on competitive advantage

This paper seeks to clarify and refine the relationship between strategic and internal green marketing and firm competitiveness. Despite the significance of corporate environmental strategy to firms adopting a triple-bottom line performance evaluation, there is insufficient focus on strategic green marketing and its impact on a firm’s competitiveness. This study fills the gap by providing a comprehensive view of strategic green marketing and its impact on competitive advantage. Findings also reveal the moderating role of internal green marketing actions towards the development of a sustained competitive advantage. Specifically, the findings build on contemporary green marketing literature suggesting that a significant interplay between strategy and people exists which enhances the creation of competitive advantage. This in turn increases financial performance. Finally, this research uses an updated approach to build on current literature concerning the drivers and outcomes of strategic green marketing. This provides managers with nuanced insights about environmentally-driven competitive advantage

Spatial and temporal determinants of Finnish farmland bird populations

During the past decades agricultural intensification has caused dramatic population declines in a wide range of taxa related to farmland habitats, including farmland birds. In this thesis, I studied how boreal farmland landscape characteristics and agricultural land use affect the abundance and diversity of farmland birds using extensive field data collected by territory mapping of breeding farmland birds in various parts of Finland. My results show that the area and openness of agricultural areas are key determinants of farmland bird abundance and distribution. A landscape composition with enough open farmland combined with key habitats such as farmyards and wetland is likely to provide essential prerequisites for the occurrence of a rich farmland avifauna. In Finland, the majority of large areas suitable for open habitat specialists are located in southern and western parts of the country. However, the diversity of the species with an unfavourable conservation status in Europe (SPECs) had notable hotspot areas in northern and north-western agricultural areas. I found that in boreal agroecosystems farmland birds favour fields with springtime vegetative cover, especially agricultural grasslands and set-asides. Hence, in the spring cereal dominated Finnish agroecosystems it is the absence of field vegetation that may limit populations of many farmland bird species. It is likely that the decrease of crops providing vegetative cover in the spring, such as permanent grasslands, cultivated grass, and autumn-sown cereals, has greatly contributed to the declines of Finnish farmland birds. Grass crops have persistently declined in Finland as a consequence of specialization in crop production and the large-scale decline in livestock husbandry. Small-scale non-crop habitats, especially ditches and ditch margins, are also important for many bird species in the Finnish agroecosystems, but have dramatically declined during the last decades. A major problem for farmland bird conservation in Finland is the conflict between landscape structure and agricultural management. Areas with mixed and cattle farming are virtually absent from the large agricultural plains of southern and south-western Finland, where the landscape structure is more likely to be favourable for rich farmland bird assemblages. On the other hand, mixed and cattle farming is still rather frequent in northern and central parts of the country, where the landscape structure is not suitable for many farmland specialist birds requiring open landscapes. My results provide useful guidelines for farmland bird conservation, and imply that considerable attention needs to be paid to landscape factors when selecting areas for various conservational management actions, such as agri-environment schemes. Actions promoting the abundance of set-asides, grass crops, and ditches would markedly benefit Finnish farmland bird populations. Organic farming may benefit farmland birds, but it is not clear how general its beneficial effect is in boreal agroecosystems. The most urgent action aiming to preserve farmland biodiversity would be to support re-introducing and sustaining cattle farming by environmental subsidies. This would be especially beneficial in the southern parts of Finland, where the landscape characteristics and abundance of agricultural areas are most suitable for farmland birds and where cattle farming is currently rare.Maatalouden tehostuminen viime vuosikymmeninä on aiheuttanut laajamittaista maatalousluonnon köyhtymistä, ja myös peltolinnut ovat huomattavasti vähentyneet. Väitöskirjassani tutkin, miten boreaalisen maatalousympäristön maiseman ja peltojen käytön erityispiirteet vaikuttavat peltolinnuston runsauteen ja monimuotoisuuteen. Tutkimuksen aineistona käytettiin peltolinnuston kartoituslaskenta-aineistoa, jota on kerätty laajoilla alueilla ympäri Suomea. Tulokseni osoittavat, että maatalousmaiseman avoimuus ja laajuus ovat ensiarvoisen tärkeitä peltolinnuston runsaudelle ja levinneisyydelle. Monimuotoinen maisemakoostumus, jossa on riittävästi avointa peltoa ja lisäksi muita avainelinympäristöjä, kuten maatilojen piharakennuksia ja kosteikkoja, on peltolinnuston monimuotoisuudelle optimaalinen. Suomessa peltolinnustolle sopivimmat laajat peltoalueet ovat runsaimpia maan etelä-, lounais-, ja länsirannikon seuduilla. Sisämaan karjatalousvaltaiset alueet ovat myös tärkeitä, sillä alue soveltuu hyvin niille peltolintulajeille, joilla koko Euroopan laajuisesti menee huonosti. Tulosteni mukaan boreaalisessa maatalousympäristössä peltolinnut suosivat keväällä kasvipeitteisiä peltoja, ennen kaikkea nurmia ja kesantoja. Siten kevätviljavaltaisessa Suomessa kasvipeitteisten peltojen väheneminen karjatalouden vähenemisen myötä vaikuttaa olevan yksi keskeinen syy peltolinnuston taantumiseen. Myös viime vuosikymmeninä dramaattisesti vähentyneet avo-ojat ja pientareet ovat linnustolle tärkeitä. Peltolinnuston kannalta suurin ongelma Suomen maatalousympäristöissä on maantieteellinen ristiriita maiseman rakenteen ja maatalouden tuotantosuuntien välillä. Peltolinnuston monimuotoisuutta edistävä karjatalous on lähes hävinnyt Etelä- ja Lounais-Suomen laajoilta peltoaukeilta, joissa maiseman avoimuus suosii runsasta peltolinnustoa. Karjataloutta taas harjoitetaan runsaammin pohjoisempana ja idempänä, jossa taas maiseman rakenne ei ole riittävän avoin monimuotoiselle peltolintuyhteisölle. Tulokseni tarjoavat hyödyllisiä suuntaviivoja peltolinnuston hyvinvoinnin edistämiseksi. Maisematekijät olisi syytä ottaa huomioon erilaisten maatalousluonnolle hyödyllisten toimenpiteiden sijoittamisessa. Hyödyllisiin toimenpiteisiin kuuluvat monet maatalouden ympäristötuen toimenpiteet, kuten kesannointi. Tulosteni mukaan myös luonnonmukainen viljely hyödyttää ainakin kiurua ja töyhtöhyyppää. Parhaiten peltolinnuston tilaa voitaisiin kuitenkin kohentaa tukemalla karja- ja sekamaatalouden harjoittamista ja myöskin uudelleenkäynnistämistä. Linnuston kannalta erityisen hyödyllistä se olisi maan etelä- ja lounaisosien suurilla peltoalueilla, joilla karjatalous nykyisin on vähäistä

Three-toed Woodpecker cavities in trees : A keystone structural feature in forests shows decadal persistence but only short-term benefit for secondary cavity-breeders

Primary cavity-producers like woodpeckers are often considered as keystone species, because they produce nest sites also for several other cavity-nesting animals and, thus, maintain ecological webs of cavity-breeders. However, the detailed temporal dynamics of cavities and their lifetime occupancy rates and survival are not usually known which makes it difficult to assess the actual significance and full impact of primary cavity breeders. In this study, we monitored cavities in a large forest landscape, covering the full lifetime of cavities. We focused on a mature and old-growth forest specialist cavity-breeder, the Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides tri-dactylus. The data include the annual occupancy history of 655 old cavities of the Three-toed Woodpecker in 86 territories in a 170-km(2) area in southern Finland during 1987-2017. The study area included both managed and natural forest types. The median survival time of a cavity was 10 years, but there were significant differences between forest area types with a range of 7-13 years. The occupancy in all cavities was 21.3%, and the cavities were available for secondary cavity-breeders each year. There was a significant negative correlation between the occupancy and the age of the cavity. The first five years of a cavity were important for the total occupancy, and 86% of occupancies took place before the median age of the cavities. In cavities older than 15 years the occupancy was only 7%. The pattern was similar in all types of forests. Our results show that cavities made by Three toed Woodpeckers have rather long lifespan but also that their active use by other cavity-breeding species is restricted mostly to few years only. The result indicates that new, fresh cavities are needed continuously in a forest landscape, in order to maintain the role that Three-toed Woodpecker has as a keystone species.Peer reviewe

Review of Methodological Standards Related to the Marine Strategy Framework Directive Criteria on Good Environmental Status

In accordance with the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD; 2008/56/EC), it is appropriate to make provision for the development of criteria and methodological standards to ensure consistency and to allow for comparison between marine regions or subregions of the extent to which good environmental status (GES) is being achieved. In this report, methodological standards are reviewed for (1) the assessment of the status of the marine environment and the determination of GES; (2) environmental targets; and (3) monitoring. Methodological standards are defined in general terms as all methods developed and agreed in the framework of European or international conventions. The screening of available methodological standards is restricted to the WFD (2000/60/EC), EQS Directive (2008/105/EC), Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), Birds Directive (2009/147/EC), CFP, and Regional Sea Conventions covering European seas (OSPAR, HELCOM, UNEP MAP, Black Sea Commission).JRC.DDG.H.5-Rural, water and ecosystem resource

Advanced gynecologic malignancies treated with a combination of the VEGF inhibitor bevacizumab and the mTOR inhibitor temsirolimus.

BackgroundBevacizumab and temsirolimus are active agents in gynecologic tumors. Temsirolimus attenuates upregulation of HIF-1α levels, a resistance mechanism for antiangiogenics, and targets the PI3-kinase/AKT/mTOR axis, commonly aberrant in these tumors.Patients and methodsWe analyzed safety and responses in 41 patients with gynecologic cancers treated as part of a Phase I study of bevacizumab and temsirolimus.ResultsMedian age of the 41 women was 60 years (range, 33-80 years); median number of prior systemic therapies was 4 (1-11). Grade 3 or 4 treatment-related toxicities included: thrombocytopenia (10%), mucositis (2%), hypertension (2%), hypercholesterolemia (2%), fatigue (7%), elevated aspartate aminotransferase (2%), and neutropenia (2%). Twenty-nine patients (71%) experienced no treatment-related toxicity greater than grade 2. Full FDA-approved doses of both drugs (bevacizumab 15mg/kg IV Q3weeks and temsirolimus 25mg IV weekly) were administered without dose-limiting toxicity. Eight patients (20%) achieved stable disease (SD) > 6 months and 7 patients (17%), a partial response (PR) [total = 15/41 patients (37%)]. Eight of 13 patients (62%) with high-grade serous histology (ovarian or primary peritoneal) achieved SD > 6 months/PR.ConclusionBevacizumab and temsirolimus was well tolerated. Thirty-seven percent of heavily-pretreated patients achieved SD > 6 months/PR, suggesting that this combination warrants further study

Workshop Report: River Basin-Specific Pollutants - Identification and Monitoring

Besides the set of Priority Substances laid down in Annex X of the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD), which are regulated and to be monitored at EU level, the EU Member States (MS) need to identify pollutants of regional or local importance (in particular substances listed in WFD, Annex VIII) and provide environmental quality standards (EQS), monitoring schemes, and regulatory measures for them. This means that MS need to decide which are the candidate substances for further investigation and which are the substances then to be declared as River Basin-Specific Pollutants (RBSP). This requires assessments of impacts as well as prioritisation efforts and strategic screening for substances possibly causing concern. While this is a matter of discretion for each of the MS of concern, there is as yet no harmonisation of the procedures involved. Therefore, JRC (European Commission, Joint Research Centre)and NORMAN (Network of Reference Laboratories for the Monitoring of Emerging Environmental Substances) organized a workshop in order to support MS. The objective of the workshop was to provide a common forum for MS and interested groups for presenting, discussing and streamlining approaches for a harmonised selection and monitoring of RBSP in the WFD context. Particular attention was given to emerging contaminants, as their prioritisation and monitoring are particularly challenging. The workshop aimed to produce clear recommendations on how to proceed.JRC.DDG.H.5-Rural, water and ecosystem resource

Dual EGFR inhibition in combination with anti-VEGF treatment: a phase I clinical trial in non-small cell lung cancer.

BackgroundPreclinical data indicate EGFR signals through both kinase-dependent and independent pathways and that combining a small-molecule EGFR inhibitor, EGFR antibody, and/or anti-angiogenic agent is synergistic in animal models.MethodsWe conducted a dose-escalation, phase I study combining erlotinib, cetuximab, and bevacizumab. The subset of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was analyzed for safety and response.ResultsThirty-four patients with NSCLC (median four prior therapies) received treatment on a range of dose levels. The most common treatment-related grade ≥2 adverse events were rash (n=14, 41%), hypomagnesemia (n=9, 27%), and fatigue (n=5, 15%). Seven patients (21%) achieved stable disease (SD) ≥6 months, two achieved a partial response (PR) (6%), and two achieved an unconfirmed partial response (uPR) (6%) (total=32%). We observed SD≥6 months/PR/uPR in patients who had received prior erlotinib and/or bevacizumab, those with brain metastases, smokers, and patients treated at lower dose levels. Five of 16 patients (31%) with wild-type EGFR experienced SD≥6 months or uPR. Correlation between grade of rash and rate of SD≥6 months/PR was observed (p less than 0.01).ConclusionThe combination of erlotinib, cetuximab, and bevacizumab was well-tolerated and demonstrated antitumor activity in heavily pretreated patients with NSCLC

PIK3CA mutations in advanced cancers: characteristics and outcomes.

PIK3CA mutations are frequently diagnosed in diverse cancers and may predict response to PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitors. It remains unclear whether they are associated with other characteristics. We analyzed characteristics and outcome of 90 consecutive patients with diverse advanced tumors and PIK3CA mutations and 180 wild-type PIK3CA controls matched by tumor type, gender, and age referred to the Clinical Center for Targeted Therapy. PIK3CA and MAPK mutations (KRAS, NRAS, and BRAF) were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction-based DNA sequencing. The most frequent PIK3CA mutations were E545K (31/90, 34%), E542K (16/90, 18%) in exon 9, and H1047R (20/90, 22%) in exon 20. PIK3CA mutations compared to wild-type PIK3CA were associated with simultaneous KRAS (p=0.047) and MAPK mutations (p=0.03), but only MAPK mutations were confirmed as having an independent association in multivariate analysis. Rates of lung, bone, liver and brain metastases were similar in PIK3CA-mutant and wild-type patients. Patients with PIK3CA mutations treated on trials with PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitors had a higher partial/complete response (PR/CR) rate than wild-type PIK3CA patients treated with their best phase I therapy (10/56, 18% vs. 12/152, 8%; p=0.045), but not a prolonged progression-free survival. Patients with H1047R PIK3CA mutations had higher PR/CR rate with PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitors compared to wild-type PIK3CA patients treated with their best phase I therapy (6/16, 38% vs. 12/152, 8%; p=0.003). In conclusion, PIK3CA mutations in diverse cancers were not associated with clinical characteristics, but were correlated with MAPK mutations. PIK3CA mutations, especially, H1047R, were associated with attaining a PR/CR to PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway inhibitors

Safety and Antitumor Activity of the Anti–Programmed Death-1 Antibody Pembrolizumab in Patients With Advanced Esophageal Carcinoma

Purpose The anti–programmed death-1 antibody pembrolizumab was evaluated in KEYNOTE-028, a multicohort, phase IB study of patients with programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1)–positive advanced solid tumors. Results from the esophageal carcinoma cohort are reported herein. Patients and Methods Eligible patients with squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma of the esophagus or gastroesophageal junction in whom standard therapy failed and who had PD-L1–positive tumors received pembrolizumab 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks for up to 2 years or until confirmed disease progression or intolerable toxicity. Response was assessed every 8 weeks up to 6 months and every 12 weeks thereafter. Primary end points were safety and overall response rate, determined by investigator review per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (version 1.1). Results Among 83 patients with esophageal carcinoma and samples evaluable for PD-L1 expression, 37 (45%) had PD-L1–positive tumors, and 23 were enrolled. Median age was 65 years; 78% had squamous histology; and 87% received ≥ two prior therapies for advanced/metastatic disease. As of the data cutoff (February 20, 2017), median follow-up was 7 months (range, 1 to 33 months). Nine patients (39%) experienced treatment-related adverse events, most commonly decreased appetite, decreased lymphocyte count, generalized rash, and rash (two patients [9%] each). No grade 4 adverse events or deaths were attributed to pembrolizumab. Overall response rate was 30% (95% CI, 13% to 53%); median duration of response was 15 months (range, 6 to 26 months). A six-gene interferon-γ gene expression signature analysis suggested that delayed progression and increased response occur among pembrolizumab-treated patients with higher interferon-γ composite scores. Conclusion Pembrolizumab demonstrated manageable toxicity and durable antitumor activity in patients with heavily pretreated, PD-L1–positive advanced esophageal carcinoma